Improvement in automatic sewer-gates



S. S. TILTON. Automatic Sewer-Gate.`

No'. 211431. Patented July'8,'1879.

Winessas Inventor MPErERs. PHOTD-LITHDGRAPHEE WASNINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

STEPHEN S. TILTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFO'RNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTQMATIC SEWER-GATES.

Specification forning part of Letters Patent No. 217.431, dated July 8, 1879; application filed May 19, 1879. i

i To all whom it may conoem:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN S. TILTON, of

' the city and eounty of San Francisco, and State 4 have but little grade, for the purpose of storing up the flow ot' water and sewage matter until a considerable qnantity has been collected, when it is allowed to be suddenly discharged, so as to produce a current which will flush the sewer and sweep out any accumulations which may be deposited in it.

I callmy invention an automatic gate and it consists of a gate which isfitted within a frame shaped to fit any form of sewer where it is to be used. This frame and gate stand at an incline, the top being inclined' toward the direction from whichthe water and sewage matter flows, and the gate, which is placed upon the outside of the frame, is hinged at the top, so that it shuts against the flow.

In constructing a gate for this purpose it is very difficult to make it close against the constant small current of water which may be fiowin g in the sewer after the large body which has been collected is discharged, and my in- 4 vention causes the gate to close suddenly after nearly all the water has been discharged, so that the gate will be latched and kept closed until the space above has been again filled to the desircd depth, when, by the action of a float, the latch will be raised and the gate opened.

An adj ustable tube passes diagonally through the gate, and a ball within this tube runs hack to the inner end by the opening of the gate, where t assists to hold the gate at rest upon the surface of the flowing water until nearly the whole has been discharged, when the tube will have been brought to such an incline that the ball will roll down to the outer end, and its weight will cause the gate to be suddenly closed and latched.

It further consists 'in providing a supple mental hin ged gate, opening outwardly, through which watermay flow in case the latches are not properly released, and also pre vents the upward escape of confincd air or gases, as is more fully described hereinafter,

and shown in the acconpanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective View. Fig. 2 is a vertical section. v

A represents the frane, which is formed of a suitable shape to suit the form of the sewer, and which may be properly 'cemented to prevent leakage at the joint with the sewer B. This frane is setin the sewerat an incline, the top being advanced toward the direction from which the Water and other material flows, as shown.

A bar, O, erosses the frame a shortdistance below the top, on which is hinged the gate D. This gate is on the outside of the iframe, so as to shut against the flow, and is provided with a double-acting latch, E, pivoted at its center,

as shown at a, and moving in guides or straps b, also attaehed'to the gate.

On each side of the frame, opposite the latch, are the eatches c, one opening upward and the other downward, so that as the latch swings it will engage the two eatches simultaneousl y.

A lever, F, provided with a float, (I, is piv oted to an angular hanger, h, ou the framc, and moves in a slot in said frame, as shown. Attached to this lever, behind its pin, is a chain or cord, f, connecting with the latch E, by which said latch is lifted, as hereinat'ter described.

Passing through the upper end of the gatel), at an angle to it, is the closed cylinder Gr, containing a ball, H, made of metal. An adjusting-clamp, I, provided with a set-screw, IL, holds the outer end of the cylinder, and admits of the said cylinder being moved up or down for adj ustment; The inner heads of the cylinder are protected from any bruisin g ac tion of the ball by packing or washers g, so that as the ball rolls to or t'ro from one end to the other it will bring up easily at the ends or heads of the cylinder. u

The operation of my device is as follows: When the gate is closed, and the latch by engaging with the 'lugs or eatches keeps it so, no water or sewage matter can flow through the sewer past the gate. It is therefore, backed up and gradually aecumulates and rises in the sewer behind the gate. As soon as it rises sutficiently high to lift the fioat on the end of the lever to near the top of the sewer, the lever, by means of its cord, raises the latch, and the pressure ot' water thro ws the gate open suddenly. As the gate is thus suddenly thrown open and upward the ball in the cylinder, which was previously at the front or outer end, is rolled to the opposite end by the change of angle of the cylindcr and nearly balances the gate, so that it only slightly impinges on the surface ot' the water. The water then rushes rapidly through the gate, carrying with it any sediment which 'nay have aceumulated, and gradually recedes in volume and height in the sewer. `As this gradual reduetion in height occnrs the ball on the end of the lever again lowers, so as to leave the cord connecting with the latch slackened. The gate also graduallylowers, following down the surface of the water untilthe outer end of the inclined cylinder becomes slightly lower than the inner. At this moment the weighted hall rolls, by its gravity, to the outer end of the cylinder, and, exerting a leverage and'concussion, suddenly closes the gate against the water, the latch engaging with. the catches and holding the gate closed. The gate so remains until suflicient water accun'ulates to lift the fioat and lever, when 'the same operation is repeated.

At the upper end ot' the frame, above the bar, is a supplemental gate or leat', K, linged to the upper end of the [rame and swinging outwardly. The object ot' this gate is, in ease the lever should fail to operate the latch and open the gate, thatthe sewer nay not cloke, as the water will-open this leaf and flow through the opening above. This nppcr leat' also answers as a check tor any eontined gases or air which may attempt to escape up the sewer at any time, even when the gate Dis closed, and prevents the`return of any gases 'from below.

In sewers with a very light grade I propose to make an incline 'from the bottom of the sewer up to the inner lower edge of the gate, so tha-t no material shall collect against the frame inside, but shall flow easily up the incline out over the lower edge ot' the t'rame. This incline l can form of cement or similar material. By this means I am enabled to control the water in the sewer, so that it will not choke. \Vhen the water lows sluggishly in sewers'of-light grade a great deal ot' sediment collects by reason of there not being sut'fieient current to carry it oti'. By repeatedly backing up the water and sewage material, how ever, a body ot' water is stored up and collccted, which, when it is suddenly released, will lush out the sewer and earry with it all the material, which would otherwise be liable to deposit.

The cylinder carrying the ball is made adjustable, so that more or less leverage may be eXerted by the novable ball at either end, according to the general amount or pressure of water liable to be in certain sewers, dependet on the grade and locality. The action of this ball in the cylinder seeured to the gate is such as to close the gate suddenly against the current fiowing through, in order that the latch may catch and close the gate. The weight of the gate alone would be insuitcient to aceomplish this in the desired manner, as the current would keep it open unless a sudden aetion is made. It will benoticed that the gate does not have to assume a vertical position before the latch acts, but rests on the inclined frame at an angle from the vertical.

Having th us described my in vention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The gate D, swinging on hinges in an inclined frame, A, and provided with the inclined adjustahle cylinder G, containing the movable ball H, and having the latch E, in'combination with the sewer B, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The outwardly-swinging hinged gate D, moving on the frame A, and provided with the inclined adjustable eylinder G, with its intcrnally-moving ball or weight H, and a pivoted latch, E, engaging with the hooks or catclcs c, in combination with the lever F, with its tloat d and cordf, whereby said gate is automatically opened and' closed, substantially as herein described.

3. In combination with a swingig gate, D, arranged to move within a sewer or drain, B, the inclined cyli nder Gr, with its moving ball H, and adi usting-clamp [an d set-screw h, whereby the weight is so adjusted as to assist in holding the gate open, and also at the proper time to close it suddenly against the current, sulstantially as herein described.

l. In combination with the swinging gate D and its adjustable cylinder G and ball H, and latch E, with its operating-cord f, connected with the floatlever F, the relief-valve or supplemental gate K, by which the water may pass through in case the gate should not operate, and the gases be prevented from passing np the sewer, substantially as herein described.

5. The automatic gate 'for fiushing sewers, consisting ot' the gate I), swinging in the frame A, and having an adjustable cylimler, G, carrying amoving ball, H, and provided with the pivoted latch E, for engagi'g with the lugsc, and the lever F, with its tloat d and cord f, and the reliet and check valve K above, the

. whole placed in a sewer at any desired point,

and arranged to back up, collect, and then release the water and sewage and prevent deposit, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

STEPHEN s. TlLTON.

lVtnesses:

CHAS. G. YALE, FRANK A. BROOKS. 

